Patents by Inventor Roland C. Francois

Roland C. Francois has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Safeguard system of a speed increasing/reducing mechanical assembly, especially of the helicopter "gear box" type, in case of lubricating oil loss
    Patent number: 5344101
    Abstract: The invention relates to a safeguard system for speed increasing/reducing mechanical assembly, especially of the helicopter "gear box" type, in case of lubricating oil loss, which comprises an additional cooling system the casing of the said mechanical assembly, with an inlet (1) and an outlet (2) arranged on the casing (3) of this mechanical assembly. The inlet (1) and the outlet (2) closed during normal operation and they open under the effect of a control device at a preset value of a parameter significant for lubricating oil loss, whereby this control device actuates simultaneously the additional cooling system, in order to provide a circulation of the coolant between the inlet (1) and the outlet (2) so that this coolant, loaded with the calories further to the warm-up caused by the lubricating oil loss, may evacuate the said calories outside via the outlet (2) of the additional cooling system, which is of the air circulation type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 6, 1994
    Assignee: Aerospatiale Societe Nationale Industrielle
    Inventor: Roland C. Francois
  • Method for cooling reduction gears lubricated with sprayed oil and implementation equipment
    Patent number: 5193645
    Abstract: The cooling method consists of sucking up inside the reduction gear previously filtered air which, when traversing the reduction gear, is mixed with the spray of lubricating oil so as to collect its calories and reject it outside after having purified it from the oil it contains. The equipment incorporates one or several air intakes provided with filters and an extraction fan driven by the reduction gear and provided with means for collecting and draining the oil. The application of this method is for reduction gears lubricated with sprayed oil and particularly for helicopter gearboxes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1993
    Assignee: Aerospatiale Societe Nationale Industrielle
    Inventor: Roland C. Francois
  • Emergency lubricating device for a reduction unit particularly for a main gear box of a rotary-wing aircraft
    Patent number: 5121815
    Abstract: An emergency lubricating device is disclosed for a reduction unit, particularly for the main gearbox of a rotary-wing aircraft, including a branch duct (10), coming from the normal lubricating circuit (3) of a rotary-wing aircraft gearbox (1), which feeds oil to at least one emergency reservoir placed at the upper part of the gearbox. The reservoir delivers the oil continuously through calibrated emergency supply ducts to the critical elements of the reduction unit (8, 9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1992
    Assignee: Aerospatiale Societe Nationale Industrielle
    Inventors: Roland C. Francois, Paul H. Marnot